1. Manet and the Post-Impressionists, 1910
Held at London’s Grafton Galleries, ‘Manet and the Post-Impressionists’ is one of the most important events in art history. So influential that Virginia Woolf wrote that ‘human character changed’ following a visit to the exhibition. 25,000 people visited over two months.
Bathers (Les Grandes Baigneuses) (about 1894-1905) by Paul CézanneThe National Gallery, London
The exhibition featured works by Edouard Manet, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh. While some people loved it, the works were also compared to children’s doodles and organiser Roger Fry saw his reputation as a critic ruined as a result.
The Bauhaus Dessau (1919/1933) by Walter GropiusOriginal Source: Vidal Sassoon
2. Bauhaus Exhibition, 1923
The Bauhaus School of design, architecture and applied arts had a huge impact on the aesthetics of the 20th century. The school’s 1923 exhibition showcased its design ideas and brought the work of Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius to a global audience.
Even though the school was forced to close in 1933, the attention the exhibition garnered ensured its aesthetics lived on. Today, a large number of our buildings, furnishings, and graphic designs can trace their roots directly back to the 1923 show.
3. The Family of Man – 1955
Organised by noted photographer, and director of MoMA’s Department of Photography, Edward Steichen, The Family of Man was a huge exhibition that brought together photographic works from around the world.
Nadelman's Sculpture (1948-05) by W Eugene SmithLIFE Photo Collection
Designed to celebrate universal aspects of the human experience, the exhibition featured a number of famous photographers including W. Eugene Smith, Dorothea Lange, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa. It toured the world for eight years and was seen by over 9 million people.
4. Treasures of Tutankhamun, 1972
The Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibition was organised to mark 50 years since the discovery of the Boy King’s tomb. The show featured 50 items from the tomb including the now famous gold funeral mask.
The public went wild for the show with people queueing for hours to get in. Altogether, over 1.6 million saw the exhibition in London before it went off on tour around the world. The Treasures of Tutankhamun remains the British Museum’s most visited exhibition of all time.
5. Freeze – 1988
Organised by Damien Hirst when he was still a student at Goldsmiths College of Art, Freeze launched a generation of young British artists onto the world’s stage. The exhibition was held in an empty Port Authority building in London’s Docklands.
Thanks to its shocking, innovative and eye-catching content, Freeze grabbed the attention of both critics and the public. As well as Damien Hirst, Freeze showcased the work of Sarah Lucas, Mat Collishaw and Michael Landy.
Damien Hirst, Hymn (1999/2005) by Damien HirstThe Hepworth Wakefield
Find out more about iconic British artist Damien Hirst here
